Associated Documents
Better Choices New Mexico Press Release / 9 in 9
January 12th, 2010
PRESS RELEASE
January 11, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Holly Beaumont, Legislative Advocate, NM Conference of Churches, (505) 660-5018 (cell)
OR: Sharon Kayne Communications Director, NM Voices for Children
(505) 244-9505, ext. 30 (phone); (505) 401-8709 (cell)
Group Proposes Revenue Raising Options That Won't Hurt NM's Working Families
Better Choices NM launches 9 Ways in 9 Days campaign
ALBUQUERQUE—Continued cuts to the state budget will lead to more unemployment, stall the state's economic recovery, and hurt working families far more than targeted tax increases. That's the message Better Choices New Mexico (BCNM) would like state legislators to hear when they convene later this month to hammer out an operating budget for the coming fiscal year. To that end, BCNM is launching a 9 Ways in 9 Days campaign. The group will release a fact sheet every day for the next nine days outlining ways the state could raise revenue that would be the least detrimental to New Mexico's working families.
"New Mexico has been hit hard and working families are hurting. People who've never had to ask for help in their lives are finding themselves in desperate financial straits," said Reverend Holly Beaumont, legislative advocate for NM Conference of Churches, which is a member of BCNM. "We must make sure we don't do anything that will make things tougher for them," she added.
BCNM, an alliance of groups and organizations, is concerned that most of the proposals being floated to address the state's declining revenues have involved funding cuts to agencies and programs such as education, health care and public safety. Further cuts will reduce opportunity, increase economic insecurity and stall recovery.
A balanced approach--one that includes targeted tax increases--will strengthen the middle class by protecting investments in the state's future prosperity, while promising new opportunity and offering a helping hand for families faced with growing economic insecurity.
Scaling back investments in education, health care, public safety, infrastructure, and transportation will severely undermine the foundations of New Mexico's future prosperity. Lay-offs and furloughs will have a reverse stimulus effect, reducing income streams to local businesses and increasing unemployment. Drastic reductions in the critical services that more and more families, children and elderly are now needing to fall back on will only make matters worse.
The first "way," introduced today, discusses the importance of closing corporate tax loopholes, like the one that permits out-of-state corporations to avoid paying New Mexico corporate income tax on profits earned here. New Mexico is the only state west of the Rockies with this loophole.
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Better Choices New Mexico consists of: Abrazos Family Support Services, America Votes Education and Action Fund, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, American Federation of Teachers NM, Center for Civic Policy, Community Action NM, Communications Workers of America, Families and Youth, Inc., Farm to Table, Hands Across Cultures, Health Action NM, International Association of FireFighters, League of Women Voters of NM, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry, National Education Association New Mexico, National Association of Social Workers New Mexico, NM Adult Education Association, NM Child Care and Education Association, NM Coalition Against Domestic Violence, NM Coalition to End Homelessness, NM Conference of Churches, NM Early Childhood Alliance, NM Progressive Action, New Mexico Solutions, NM Voices for Children, NM Youth Providers Alliance, Results-Santa Fe, Santa Fe Alliance, and SouthWest Organizing Project.
For more information: http://betterchoicesnewmexico.com; betterchoicesnm@gmail.com
